


12 Days of Turn-"Family"

by Chaitea14



Category: Historical RPF, Turn (TV 2014)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:54:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28083522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chaitea14/pseuds/Chaitea14
Summary: "Adrienne had decided.  Christmas in South Carolina was miserable.  There was nothing Charleston did particularly wrong in its festivities in her book except leave her out of them. The few invitations received at the house during the season were all addressed solely to John.  Due to his need to canvas the town’s elite to create the battalion of his dreams, John had not declined a single one.  The social gap was clear as day to Adrienne.  They did not have to like John, but he was still a Laurens of South Carolina breed, and this alone merited him access to every significant event in the city.  Adrienne did not have this benefit.  She was a Laurens in no way except in name, but rather a British Lady, and they viewed her as an enemy.  They did not care she had lived in the colonies all her life, she was an outsider in their minds, and they made sure she knew it.  It made for an incredibly depressing season."
Relationships: George Washington/Martha Washington, George William Fairfax/Sally Fairfax, john laurens/Originial female character
Collections: 12 Days of Turn 2020





	12 Days of Turn-"Family"

Adrienne had decided. Christmas in South Carolina was miserable. There was nothing Charleston did particularly wrong in its festivities in her book except leave her out of them. The few invitations received at the house during the season were all addressed solely to John. Due to his need to canvas the town’s elite to create the battalion of his dreams, John had not declined a single one. The social gap was clear as day to Adrienne. They did not have to like John, but he was still a Laurens of South Carolina breed, and this alone merited him access to every significant event in the city. Adrienne did not have this benefit. She was a Laurens in no way except in name, but rather a British Lady, and they viewed her as an enemy. They did not care she had lived in the colonies all her life, she was an outsider in their minds, and they made sure she knew it. It made for an incredibly depressing season.

The house remained utterly undecorated. After all, why would it be? It was only herself and the baby, who was far too young to even remember such a dismal Christmas. Decorations were a waste of money. A poor economic decision is what John had called it as he kissed her on the cheek mere moments before heading out to yet another fine party. Adrienne sat alone on the couch in the back parlor with her baby swaddled in a cradle beside her on Christmas Eve day. And as she sat alone in the silence, the muffled sounds of the bustle and joy seeping through the windows, Adrienne closed her eyes and thought back to a happier Christmas, many years into her childhood.

* * *

The familiar halls of Belvoir had never felt more cheery than they did at Christmas time. The smell of crackling fireplaces, fresh pine, cinnamon, and holly berry wafted through Adrienne’s room as she was nudged from sleep. 

“Good Morning, my star,” Lord William Fairfax sat on the side of her bed, smiling kindly down at the young blonde girl drowning in blue and white patterned sheets.

She rubbed her eyes, sleepily, “Papa?”

“Come, Addy, get dressed,” he said, caressing her cheek, “I have a surprise for you.”

Adrienne wiggled upright, swinging her legs off the bed, her feet coming in contact with the cold wooden floors.

Lord Fairfax smiled with satisfaction, rising from the bed. “I shall wait in the hall, my star,” he said, exiting the room, closing the door softly behind him.

She dressed quickly and by the fireplace, placing on the white gown that had been laid out for her, tying her hair back with a baby blue ribbon that matched the dress’s sash. She smiled at the fireplace, seeing the pine garland laced with holly berries decorating the light blue mantle before stepping into the all to greet her father once more.

Lord Fairfax bent down slightly, whisking his youngest daughter off the ground to carry her on his hip. “You are getting too big for this. Soon I am afraid you will have to walk through the halls, my dear,” he teased her as they passed her mother.

“She is nine years old, Thomas,” Lady Sarah Fairfax scolded, “She should be walking right now. She is more than capable of it.”

“Oh Sally, leave her be,” he admonished softly, “Allow me to pamper my little girl while I still can.”

“You are spoiling,” she corrected, lips pulling into a firm line, “There is a difference.”

“Then spoil I shall,” he retorted, carting her off before her mother could reply. They rounded the corner, and Adrienne began to giggle, with Lord Fairfax shortly joining in her laughter. “Do not do what I did, my star. I am afraid you might not be able to get away with no more than banishment to the couch,” he advised, joking joyously.

Adrienne nodded, pouting slightly, “She never lets me get away with anything.”

Lord Fairfax chuckled, “That is her job as your mama. I get you into trouble, and she gets you out of it.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head as they entered the light yellow drawing-room.

The frames of the large windows were dusted with a light layer of snow, a large Christmas tree, and in the armchair beside the crackling fire sat a guest, with another standing beside it. “Uncle George!” Adrienne exclaimed, wiggling free from her father’s grasp to run to the standing man.

George Washington turned to collect the little girl in his arms, lifting her into the air with a spin, amusing her enough to provoke yet another giggle to escape from her lips. She came to rest on the tall man’s hip as he walked to the couch, taking a seat beside Lord Fairfax. “How have you been, Miss Addy?”

“Careful George,” Lord Fairfax jested, “You handle incredibly precious cargo.”

George nodded, lips pulled into a happy smile as she settled herself in his lap, “More precious than any amount of riches, that is to be sure.”  
They sat and doted on the little girl for an hour or two until Lady Fairfax swept into the room, whisking her daughter away to lessons. Even during the holidays, Adrienne was never allowed to skip lessons, even if her mother was going to sit in the room and correct her teacher every couple of minutes. The Washington’s left before dinner, so they ate in the dining room with the patterned wallpaper, as per usual. And everything was perfect, exactly the way it was supposed to be.

Adrienne could recall each and every item on display in the room and where they belonged. She was aware of their histories, a common topic over meals, and their importance. Each item was an heirloom in its own way. The intimate feeling of the dining room now resided solely inside her mind reminded her the most of her family and childhood. So, as she sat there, alone on a couch in South Carolina, she remembered each object, feeling homesick for them. Adrienne’s eyes swam with tears that she blinked away, pulling herself out of her daydream and back to reality.

John will attend church this evening, and a Christmas Eve mass was surely a family event, she reasoned. Adrienne nodded to herself before scooping up her child and climbing the stairs to prepare for her first outing in months with visuals of ribbons, bows, crowds, and chatter dancing about her head.


End file.
